The Invicta Medal Museum (Online) BROTHERS:
George Ambrose Trowbridge &
Alfred Thomas Trowbridge
(Click any thumbnail image to view full size)
Family
George and Alfred were the eldest sons of Ambrose and Ellen Trowbridge (above). Ambrose had, himself, served in the 39th/54th Regiment of Foot (Dorsetshire Regiment). He joined up at age 18 (1884). They had 11 children. In addition to Geroge and Alfred there were their siblings; Elizabeth, Florence, Emily, Harriet, Lilian, Alice, Ada, Charles and Jessie. Alfred and George appear together at the family home in Silverlock Road in Portsmouth on the 1901 census (above).
Other associated images ..
Their sisters Jessie and Elizabeth (with her husband Joe Mott)
Their sister Florence on her wedding day in 1928
Their sister Florence on her wedding day in 1928 - with Parents
Their sister Harriet(who died aged 20)
Their sisters Elizabeth (standing) and Jessie
George Ambrose TROWBRIDGE (Corporal / Bombardier)
54453, 41st Battery, 42nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
1914 Star with "Mons" clasp and rosette, British War Medal and Victory Medal
George followed in his Father's footsteps and joined the army aged around 18/19 - a long time prior to the outbreak of war. He appears on the 1911 census (below), aged 20 with the rank of Bombardier (equivelent to Corporal), while serving with the 41st Battery of the Royal Field Artillery. It is likely he had already served at least 2 years to have been promoted twice. The photos above (click to enlarge) show him with the rank of Lance-Bombardier, making the date of this photo around 1910, when George was 19 years old. The full size image of him on horseback was sent home to his mother by post from Woolwich Arsenal in 1911, the reverse, showing her address at the family home is shown below.
After the outbreak of war, George was among the very first men into France with the British Expeditionary Force. At this time, with the 41st Battery being part of the XLII (42nd) Brigade Royal Field Artillery and in turn part of the the British Army's Third Division, he would have arrived in France around the 16th-19th of August 1914. They moved to take up defensive positions on the Mons-Conde Canal. Following a bloody battle against fierce opposition, where the 3rd division won the first 3 Victoria Crosses of the war, they began the retreat from Mons and later saw action at the First Battle of the Aisne. In early October 1914, the division moved up to take part in fighting to the south of Armentières. It was here on October 14th at Vielle Chapelle, that the division's commander, Major General H.I.W.Hamilton was killed. Sometime around this time George too was injured, probably by the superioir German heavy and medium shellfire, and sadly died of his wounds on 26th October 1914. He is buried and remembered with honour in Bethune Town Cemetery, France. He is poignantly buried next to a soldier of the Middlesex Regiment and another artilleryman who both also died on the same day.
Medal index card
Cemetery Register
Grave Registration
Headstone Schedule
Headstone Schedule 2
Medal roll entry for British War and Victory Medals
Entry in unknown book
Entry in unknown book close-up
Entry in DeRuvigny's Roll of Honour
Entry in DeRuvigny's Roll of Honour close-up
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Alfred Thomas TROWBRIDGE (Private)
269210 / 21359 / WR27137 , Royal Engineers and Army Vetinary Corps
British War Medal and Victory Medal Pair
When Alfred turned 18 in 1916 he left the family home, where lived with his parents, uncle Robert, brother and seven sisters (see 1911 census below), to sign up to the army and go to war, as his oldest brother, George had in 1914. It must have been playing on his mind after his brother had died in France in the very early stages of the war while Alfred was only 16. His sister sister, Harriet also died around this time in 1916, aged 20. Alfred went on to serve in both the Royal Engineers and the Army Vetinary Corps. His is shown, above, wearing his AVC uniform, and in the group image (third from left) on a break from cleaning out the horse stables. Alfred survived the war, but died young, at the age of 35 in 1932. He left his estate of £63 to his Parents, Ambrose and Ellen, who themselves lived to grand ages of 79 and 85 respectively.
